


Giving Thanks

by ARtheBard



Series: JEmily Forever [12]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-26 13:23:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10787556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ARtheBard/pseuds/ARtheBard
Summary: A little fluff between cases. It's Thanksgiving and time for family. And what's better than the family that puts the 'fun' in dysfunctional!





	1. Chapter 1

Emily smiles as JJ walks into the hospital room with her go bag.

“Morning, Sweetheart. Did you sleep okay?” JJ asks, scanning her wife’s face and body to make sure she was really okay.

Emily shrugs. “As okay as I could be not in your arms.”

JJ’s heart skips a beat at the honesty of that response. She walks over to the bed and pulls Emily into a hug and kiss. When the kiss ends, JJ stares into brown eyes she could get lost in forever.

“I love you so much, Emily. I don’t know what I’d done if…I just love you so much.”

Emily strokes a hand down JJ’s face, staring deep into her wife’s eyes. She wants JJ to feel these words, not just hear them. “I knew you’d come for me. Never doubted it for a minute.”

The two are sharing another kiss when the doctor on call enters the room. He chuckles.

“I hope you know this woman, Agent Prentiss. Otherwise I may have to talk to the staff about the training for our volunteers.”

Emily and JJ laugh. “You mean this isn’t the way they check temperatures here? Then what about those three women overnight?” Emily asks, pretending to be confused.

JJ slaps her arm lightly. Emily still winces as JJ connects with a bruise. JJ’s gasps, stricken. “Oh, sweetie! I am so sorry! Wasn’t thinking!”

Emily just raises an eyebrow. “Right. I’ll remember this, Mrs. Prentiss.”

The doctor can’t help but smile at the interaction between the two women. He hands JJ some papers. “I should probably give these to you. I know most law enforcement officers are less likely to follow instructions unless their spouse stays on their butts.”

“You got that right,” JJ agrees. Emily just glares at her.

“On the bright side, she doesn’t have many restrictions. She was dehydrated but I think we’ve got that on track now.”

“Will she need any follow ups for the ribs?”

“I don’t think so. She should be- -”

“Uh, hey, guys? I’m right here. You can talk to me, Doc,” Emily gripes.

He chuckles. “My apologies, Agent Prentiss. What you need to do is listen to your wife.”

JJ laughs as Emily stares dumbfounded. “I like you, Doc. Can you be our regular physician?” JJ asks.

He winks at JJ. “Her ribs should be fine in a week or so as long as they don’t receive any more trauma. No restrictions other than what she’s able to do without pain.” He finally turns to Emily. “You are going to be fine, Agent Prentiss. I’ve seen others come in with similar injuries and they are laid up for a while. Your physical and mental fitness level served you well.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” she says sincerely.

“As soon as you’re ready to go, you can leave. Good day, Agents.”

As the doctor leaves, JJ turns back to Emily. Emily is looking at her with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t think I won’t forget this whole conversation, not to mention your assault on me, Mrs. Prentiss.”

JJ chuckles. “Assault? I bumped your bruise and you call it assault?”

Emily shrugs a twinkle in her eyes. “Only because it will be easier to make you feel guilty about it.”

Emily hops out of bed and starts to get dressed. She then takes a good look at what JJ’s wearing: jeans, wool socks, warm boots, three layers of clothes under a Redskins jersey, Redskin’s scarf hanging around her neck and her “lucky” Redskins earrings.

“You’re in your game outfit. Are you going to the game later today?”

“Yep. In fact, Morgan’s picking me up here.”

“He is? So you’re actually going to let me drive myself home?”

JJ blushes and looks away. “Ummm…not exactly.”

Emily looks at her suspiciously. “What does- -”

“Right down this way, Ambassador Prentiss,” is heard from the hallway.

“Oh, Jen, you didn’t…”

JJ shrugs. “She insisted.”

“Tell me you drove her here. Please just tell me that.”

“Um…not exactly,” JJ answers again.

The door to the room is opened and an orderly pushes in a wheelchair. He is followed by Elizabeth, who holds Henry. Emily’s face lights up as she sees her son in his Redskins sweat suit.

“Hey, Champ! I see Mommy’s got you all decked out for game day!” He giggles and waves both hands towards her. She takes him and gives him bunches of kisses as he laughs. She looks at the orderly. “I don’t need the wheelchair, buddy.”

“Em, you know it’s hospital policy,” JJ scolds.

“But, Jen, I’m fine!”

“And you know Henry will love the ride,” Elizabeth points out.

“Fine. You get in and ride with him. I’m not going out of here in a wheelchair to a limo. I can only take so much embarrassment in one morning,” Emily states emphatically.

JJ walks over to Emily and whispers something in her ear. Emily’s face flushes and the orderly and Elizabeth see the brown eyes get darker…with desire.

Emily slowly turns and looks at JJ. “Seriously?” she whispers. JJ just nods, a sly look on her face. Emily walks over and sits down in the wheelchair. “Well, let’s get this show on the road.”

Elizabeth looks like she’s about to ask JJ what was said but the hungry look on the blonde’s face tells the ambassador it’s probably best not to know. She just laughs and shakes her head. The group heads out to find Morgan waiting by the limo. He smiles at Emily.

“How did I know this was for you, Princess?”

“Morgan, if you don’t want me to embarrass you in our next drill you’ll stop now,” Emily warns.

He just laughs at her. He pats her on the shoulder. “Just glad you’re okay, Prentiss.”

She smiles up at him. “Me, too. How’s Pen doing?”

“She’s going to be okay. She kept her head in there and did what she needed to do to survive. And she’s got Kevin to remind her of all that when it gets tough.”

“Good. Well, you two better get going. Heaven forbid Jen miss several hours of pregame,” Emily teases.

Morgan laughs as JJ goes to slap Emily then stops. “What’s the matter, Blondie? Scared she’ll retaliate?”

“Heck no! She’s covered in bruises and I’m scared I’ll pop another one again.”

Emily smiles proudly. “Hmm…these may be kinda handy to have around. Might need to make them permanent.”

“Don’t push your luck, Prentiss,” JJ warns.

Emily stands, Henry in her arms. “Let’s say bye to Mommy, Champ.”

JJ gives them both a hug and kiss, then heads off with Morgan. Emily gets Henry settled in his car seat and settles herself in the limo. She looks at her mother.

“Have you ever considered learning to drive?” she asks curiously.

“Oh, Emily, darling I can drive. I just prefer not to.”

Emily’s jaw drops open. “Oh you little sneak.” Elizabeth smiles proudly as the limo heads for the Prentiss condo.

* * *

 

At halftime, JJ decides to call and check on Emily. Morgan stands nearby listening in.

“Hey, baby. Just wanted to se what you’re doing. I know you’re not watching the game,” she teases. She listens a minute. “Really? There’s a documentary about your parents on TV?”

Morgan raises his eyebrows. Everyone knew the Prentiss’ were big in the political world but he hadn’t realized how big. He watches as JJ pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration. When she speaks her voice is frustrated.

“Emily, your parents aren’t pod people and ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ is not a documentary on their life.”

Morgan has to lean against the wall he is laughing so hard. JJ just shakes her head. “Emily, be  _nice._ Otherwise what I promised at the hospital this morning will  _not_ be happening. Understand?” She waits. “Good. Give Henry a kiss for me and say hello to Gerald for me. Love you, sweetheart…even when you’re being a twit.” She listens a second and chuckles. “Right. Bye, sweetheart.”

She hangs up and looks at Morgan. “I swear she can be such a pill sometimes.”

He nods in agreement. “True. But you love her anyway.”

JJ grins, love making her eyes sparkle. “Yes, I do.”

“When did her dad get into town?”

They start to make their way back to their seats for the second half. “This morning. Elizabeth called him yesterday so he decided to come into town early to really make sure Emily is okay.”

“So she’s really getting along with her parents again?”

JJ nods. “Yeah. It’s incredible. I think she’s still not sure what it all means, hence the ‘pod people’ insistence. It scares her a bit.”

“I bet. It probably makes her a bit unsettled. And if there’s one thing I know about Emily Prentiss she does  _not_   like to be unsettled.”

JJ laughs. “Wow, you are one hell of a profiler to have picked up on that,” she teases.

“Watch it, Blondie,” he jokes back.

They get settled in for the second half of the game, their teasing put aside to cheer on the Redskins…in another disappointing loss.


	2. Chapter 2

At just after 8:30 Monday morning Emily and JJ exit the elevator on their floor. They run into Hotch, who looks like he’s already had a long day.

“JJ, get word to everyone. Meeting at 9 in the conference room,” he says without preamble.

JJ nods. “Okay. Everything okay?”

He just raises an eyebrow. “No.”

“Right. So, do I have to meet with a shrink or anything about- -”

“That will be covered in the meeting. Get a big cup of coffee. We may be in there a while,” he warns as he continues on to his office.

JJ and Emily exchange a look. “What do you think is going on, Em?”

Emily stares at the back of their chief. “I think we are about to be drawn into a cover-up. And it’s not going to be pretty.”

JJ just nods. “Thought so.”

“Look, I’ll let the guys know. Go do what you need to get done before the meeting. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

The couple splits up to get started on their morning routine before the meeting. Emily sees Reid and Morgan already at their desks. She glances towards Hotch’s office and sees Rossi in there with him.

“Hey, guys, big meeting at 9,” she tells them.

“I guess it’s the debriefing for this weekend,” Reid concludes.

Emily raises an eyebrow. “Something like that.”

Morgan stares at her a minute. “You know something we don’t?”

She sets her briefcase down and moves towards the kitchenette. “I know that there is no way the CIA can let what happened this weekend make it to an official report. And I know enough about politics to know we’re going to get snowed.”

The two men exchange a look. Emily is pissed. And if she’s right, they were going to be, too.

At exactly 9 a.m. Chief Straus and Hotch walk into the conference room to find the team and Kevin Lynch already assembled. Hotch doesn’t look any happier than when JJ and Emily had first seen him. He closes the door to the bullpen. As always, the chief’s face just looks disgusted. Hotch takes his regular seat as Straus stands in JJ’s normal place.

Straus looks to each agent in turn. She can already tell they are on the defensive and she knows the meeting will get worse before it gets better. She is not happy with the order she has been given but she will never let them know this.

“Officially, the events of Friday night and Saturday did not happen,” she states. Every agent in the room shifts uncomfortably but nothing is said. “It will be chalked up to a training exercise and go in your files as a successful test of your skills. It will- -”

“This is bullshit!” Emily blurts out, sitting forward in her chair.

“Prentiss. Quiet,” Hotch orders.

She opens her mouth to argue but hands fall on both of her shoulders. She glances to JJ and to Morgan and sits back in her seat. Her jaw is clenched and she is staring daggers at Straus.

“As I was saying,” the chief continues, “it will show that you were able to on paper diffuse a serious threat to the US Government alone. There will be no mention of CIA involvement. Prentiss, your injuries will be attributed to the team’s previous case.”

“A suspect got one lucky punch in and did all this damage? Damn. I didn’t realize I was so fragile,” Emily sneers.

“Emily…hush,” JJ whispers.

“Agent Prentiss—”

“Look, the guy is being charged with assaulting a federal officer. You don’t think his lawyer is going to notice a few extra bruises showing up? At least be sensible about the cover story, Chief,” Emily points out.

“Prentiss, one more word and you’re on suspension,” the chief warns.

“With all due respect, Chief, Prentiss is correct about her injuries,” Hotch points out, still giving Emily a warning glance.

The chief stares at the dark-haired agent a moment. It’s not the first time she’s had a stand-off with Agent Prentiss and it was not the first time the agent had been correct. The chief was getting tired of it.

“And do you have a better idea, Agent Prentiss?”

“Don’t make it an ‘on paper’ exercise. Make it a practical one. That might at least make it believable.”

Prentiss and the chief stare at each other. Finally the chief looks away. “Make note of that for your official report, Agent Hotchner.” He just nods, giving Emily one more warning glare. “Comp time and overtime will be awarded appropriately. Other than that it’s business as usual.”

“I shot a man,” JJ points out.

“No you didn’t,” Straus says. “As it was just a training exercise no firearms discharge will be reported.”

JJ looks disgusted. “But I know what I did. And I know what he was! At one point he was one of us!”

The chief sighs in anger and says sarcastically. “Look, Agent Jareau, if it’s such a bad thing that you shot a bad man maybe you’re in the wrong line of work. It’s the job. Deal with it or move on.”

This time it’s Emily laying a calming hand on JJ before the media liaison lets the chief know what she’s really thinking.

“Ma’am? If I may ask a question?” Garcia asks nervously. The chief nods. “I know what I did to those computers  _should_   render them completely inoperable. But what if I was wrong?”

“The computers have already been incinerated. There is not chance that the information stored on them can ever be recovered.”

Garcia looks relieved. In fact, she seems to be the only one okay with the meeting. Straus looks around the table until she gets to Reid.

“Dr Reid?”

He jumps, surprised to be called out. “Ma’am?”

“I heard the way you spoke with Chief Cervantes on two occasions. I just want to warn you if you ever speak to a superior here at the FBI in such a way I   _will_   have your badge. However, since I know the man you said it to and he’s CIA I say good job.”

Reid’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Um, yes, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am.”

“I know you all may not believe this, but I am not happy with how this event is being recorded. I personally want blood for what happened to Agent Prentiss and Analyst Garcia. But this order has come down from well above my head.” She looks pointedly at Emily. “We all know politics can create its own truth.”

Emily’s eye twitches as she fights against saying what she really thinks. It would do no good to further agitate the Chief. Hotch is impressed by Emily’s self-control.

“If there are no further questions for me, I will leave you all to get your stories in line.” Straus glances around the table one more and leaves.

Being in the position she is in, there are many distasteful and, sometimes, illegal things Straus has had to swallow in her career. She was proud of this team and what they had done in just 24 hours. She wants special commendations for Garcia and Lynch for their work. But none of that matters to those above Straus. No one would ever be able to acknowledge the victory this team had scored. And Straus, though she would never show it to those who work under her, was gravely disappointed in the powers that be in the FBI and CIA.

Safely locked in her office, she reaches into a bottom drawer and pulls out a bottle of scotch. It may only be just after 9 a.m. but she needs a drink if she’s going to make it through the rest of the day.

In the conference room, there is a heavy silence. JJ slowly turns to stare at Hotch.

“Hotch…what’s going to happen to him?”

No one has to ask who the ‘him’ is she refers to. Hotch glances at Rossi, seeking strength in the steady countenance of his mentor. After a minute, Hotch turns back to JJ.

“Myron Phillipe was killed in a car accident last night. With him was his old friend Jackie Walters. It is believed Phillipe had been drinking and lost control while on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Both men died on impact when the car went off the side of the mountain.”

JJ stares at him, shocked he could agree to what had obviously been a murder. She stands. “Like Emily said…this is **bullshit**.” She storms out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

There is silence for a moment. Then Rossi looks at Hotch. “Well, I guess we know why she’s our spokesperson.”

Emily stands. “If there’s nothing else, sir?” she says to Hotch. He nods towards the door. “Thank you.” She leaves to go track down her wife.

Morgan leans forward onto the table. “Hotch, can I just point out that Garcia and Lynch saved our asses. The things they were able to do with their computers and their programs is what saved the U.S. Government. That shouldn’t go unrecognized.”

The two computer genius’ blush at the compliments from Morgan. Hotch lets out a sigh of frustration.

“I agree. However, people way above even Straus’ pay grade don’t feel the same. For all intents and purposes nothing happened. That said,” he turns to first Garcia then Kevin, “you both handled yourselves beyond exceptionally. I will do what I can to make sure that at some point you get a commendation for your files. It may be attributed to another case but it will be for this one.”

“Thank you, sir,” Garcia says nervously. “Does this mean…the hacking I did…it’s not going to be held against me?”

Hotch smiles at her. “In no way will someone be able to use this against you. I promise you that.”

She immediately looks relieved. “Thank you, sir.”

This portion of the team remains in the conference room knowing this may be their only chance to hash out everything that happened.

Meanwhile, Emily heads for JJ’s office. She is surprised to find it empty. She pulls out her phone and sends a text.

“ _Where are you, sweetheart?”_

She waits for a few minutes. Just when she thinks she’s not going to get a response her alert sounds.

“ _In the car_.”

Emily takes the elevator down and makes her way out to the parking lot. JJ sees her coming and unlocks the doors to the Lexus. Emily opens the back door and climbs in.

“Come back here, Jen,” she says tenderly.

JJ takes a deep breath and moves from the front to the back, where Emily wraps her up in her arms.

“Let it out, Jennifer,” Emily encourages softly.

JJ finally lets go of all the emotions she’d been fighting since Friday night. She sobs into Emily’s shoulder. She cries for the fear Garcia must have felt. She cries for the terror Henry must have gone through. She cries for the pain Emily suffered. And she cries for herself. When she is finally able to speak, she looks at Emily.

“I’ve fired my gun 5 times in the line of duty, Em. Three of those times…I’ve shot law enforcement officers. Deputy Battle, Agent Weston and now Agent Phillipe. And this time I don’t even get to see a shrink about it! How fucked up is this?”

Emily kisses her forehead as JJ tucks her head down once more. “Jen, everything about this case is fucked. None of us are happy with how it’s being handled. You’re not alone in that. As to seeing a shrink, baby, if you need to just go. We can find someone outside the agency staff to talk to. And there’s nothing wrong with needing that.” She takes a deep breath before continuing. “As to who you’ve had to shoot, I don’t know if this will help or not but you’ve got to ignore their badge and just think of them as an unsub. Ask yourself this question: if they didn’t have credentials, would you have taken the same shot?”

JJ takes a shuddering breath. “Would you have taken the shots I did?”

Emily tilts JJ’s head up and looks into her eyes. “Yes. Because as you said, we do what we have to do to protect our family.”

JJ studies Emily’s eyes. There is no flicker of doubt, no flash of deception. She leans up enough to give Emily a chaste kiss. “Thank you.”

She tucks her head back down, absorbing the love and support pouring off her wife. “I love you so much, Emily.”

Emily again kisses her forehead. “I love you, too, Mrs. Prentiss.”

The two women sit out there for another half an hour. When JJ is finally ready to face the job again, they head inside.


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the week before Thanksgiving goes by with a spirit of unease hanging over the BAU team. Though they are glad nothing can happen to Garcia, and that JJ wasn’t temporarily sidelined due to the shooting, they just couldn’t be pleased with everything getting swept under the rug. No one would ever really pay for the events of that weekend.

As Morgan closes his last file of the day on Wednesday he sits back in his chair. “I need a drink.”

“I second that emotion,” Emily replies, her eyes not leaving the case she is trying to finish.

Reid had left at noon that day, planning to spend the four days with his mother in Las Vegas. Morgan wasn’t flying out until Thursday morning to spend the holiday with his family in Chicago. He studies Emily for a moment.

“So, what did you all decide to do tomorrow?”

Emily finishes writing a sentence then looks up. “Honestly, I don’t know. Mother said she and Dad were taking care of everything. We’ve been so tired we just agreed.”

Morgan glances towards JJ’s office. “She doing okay?”

Emily had confided in Morgan why JJ had been so upset. She knew he would never judge the liaison and Emily had needed someone to talk to. Emily shrugs. “Getting better.”

He smiles at her. “Good. Maybe a four day break is just what she needs.”

“I hope so,” she says truthfully.

Morgan stands and gathers his things. “Well, Agent Prentiss, have a wonderful Thanksgiving. And if it turns out to be as twisted as you expect make sure you take video,” he finishes with a wink and sly grin.

Emily laughs. “You are nuts, Morgan. See you Monday.”

Twenty minutes later, hands fall on Emily’s shoulders and start to massage them. She groans at the delightful feeling.

“Jen, you keep doing that and I won’t ever stand up.”

JJ chuckles. She leans down and whispers in her wife’s ear. “If you don’t stand up I can’t take you home and massage other muscles.”

Emily moans, immediately getting wet. “Jesus, Jen!”

JJ chuckles as Emily starts to hurriedly get her things together. After saying goodbye to Hotch, the two head out. In the SUV, Emily takes JJ’s hand.

“Did you call?”

JJ nods. “Yep. I see her on Friday.”

Emily lifts JJ’s hand and kisses it. “Good.”

JJ can’t help but smile at her. “I thought you hated shrinks?”

“I do. But if it’s what you need I’ll support it 100%. You mean more to me than my own hang ups. You should know that by now.”

JJ squeezes Emily’s hand. “I do know. No one has ever loved me like you do, Emily. Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve you.”

Emily thinks back to a comment JJ had once made to her. She gives a snarky grin. “Oh, I never said you  _deserved_   me, Jen.”

JJ rolls her eyes and playfully slaps Emily on the arm…again hitting a bruise. “Ooops! Sorry!”

Emily just slides a look at her. “Uh huh…right. Remind me not to tease you until all my bruises are gone.”

JJ laughs and gives Emily’s hand a kiss.

* * *

 

That evening, Emily is on the phone with her mother. “Are you serious? Okay. I’ll let Jen know. Right. Okay. Sure. Bye, Mother.”

Emily disconnects the call and stares at the handset. JJ looks over from feeding Henry.

“Em? Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Um, did you know caterers are arriving here at 8 a.m. tomorrow?”

JJ eyes widen. “Um, no. Why?”

Emily chuckles. “Mother is ‘making’ Thanksgiving dinner for us.”

JJ rolls her eyes and laughs. “Ah, of course. Silly me for asking.”

“And did you know Will and his girlfriend are joining us?”

JJ drops the spoon of food she’d been about to feed Henry. “What?!”

“Yep. Mother felt he should be here for Henry’s first Thanksgiving. Which I totally agree with but didn’t he have to work?”

“Yes. But I’m guessing your mother pulled strings.”

Emily rolls her eyes. “Of course she did. Remind me to apologize to Will for this and any future interference from my parents.”

JJ smiles and goes back to feeding Henry. Emily walks over and stares at a picture on her bookshelf. It’s a shot of her and her parents on a farm in Italy the Easter Emily was 5. To her recollection, it’s the only time her family was together for a holiday. This year, she’d have her wife, her son, and her parents with her. Not to mention the father of her son and his girlfriend. It never ceases to amaze her the strange turns her life had taken since Jennifer Jareau had stolen her heart.

* * *

 

That night after getting Henry put to bed, Emily pulls JJ close. She gives her a deep, passionate kiss. As it ends she moves a lock of hair off of JJ’s forehead. “You know, Mrs. Prentiss, you made me a promise at the hospital on Sunday.”

JJ feigns ignorance. “Really? I did? I don’t remember.”

Emily kisses along JJ’s jaw to her ear, loving the moan from her wife. “Oh, but I think you do. It had to do with you, that sexy red lace negligee and a blindfold.”

JJ moans, her pelvis thrusting lightly towards Emily. “Mmmm…still don’t remember.”

Emily brings a hand up, cupping JJ’s breast through her shirt. She sucks JJ’s earlobe into her mouth and the whispers huskily into it. “How about you put on the negligee and I show you the rest of what you promised?”

JJ just moans and nods, her eyes nearly black with desire. Emily kisses back along her wife’s jaw and captures her lips in another deep kiss. As she feels JJ’s legs go weak, Emily stoops enough to lift her up. JJ wraps her legs around Emily’s waist as the taller agent walks them into the bedroom. Suddenly the negligee isn’t needed. The flames of their desire are already stoked enough. Emily uses the wall to help support JJ. She takes one hand from her wife’s waist and starts to undo the blouse JJ wears.

JJ pulls an arm from around Emily’s neck and yanks her blouse off before Emily finishes with the buttons. She pulls her own bra straps down, using her hand to force Emily’s mouth down to one pebbled nipple.

“Oh, Em, yes,” she murmurs as Emily’s tongue and teeth tease the gift she’d been given.

So much of JJ’s attention is on her breast she doesn’t notice Emily’s hand snaking down into the sweats JJ wears. As fingertips dart across wet panties. JJ thrusts towards Emily, begging the fingers to dive in.

Emily lifts her mouth from JJ’s breast. “I love you, Jennifer.”

“I love you- -OH!”

JJ’s voice chokes off as Emily shoves the panties aside and thrusts into her wife. JJ’s hips keep pace with Emily’s plunging fingers. Emily kisses JJ again, her tongue also keeping time with her fingers, her hips helping her dive deeper in her wife.

JJ’s hips buck faster and faster until they suspend in an upward arc. “EM!”

With one more pump, Emily feels JJ’s orgasm wash over her. Worried neither of them will be able to stand much longer, Emily eases JJ down the wall to the ground.

“I love you, Jennifer,” she states again.

“Oh, God, Emily. I love you, too. No one has ever…wow…”

Emily can’t help but smile proudly. “I love making love to you. I love making you feel like no one else ever has.” She kisses JJ again, this time slowly.

Never breaking the kiss, JJ pushes back on Emily’s shoulders. The brunette allows the blonde to drive her onto her back on the floor. JJ’s hand push down the sleep pants Emily had put on when they got home from work. JJ’s need for her wife was too great to worry about teasing. She quickly settles between Emily’s legs.

“I love you, Emily,” she says before drawing her tongue up Emily’s wet folds. Drawing her wife’s clit into her mouth, she drives two fingers into her.

“Jen! Yes!” Emily moans, her hips meeting every pump of JJ’s hand. She wraps the fingers of one hand into JJ’s hair, the other sliding up under her shirt to play with her own breasts. JJ sees this and it gets her more turned on. She increases her speed, her free hand moving down to her own center. Their hips are now flexing in time with each other.

Emily lifts her head, her eyes locking with JJ’s. As one, they come together.

“YES! JEN!”

“EMILY!”

JJ slowly shifts until her head rests on Emily’s stomach. Suddenly Emily realizes she can feel tears on her stomach. She lifts JJ’s head.

“Hey, Jen, baby, what’s wrong?”

“I just love the way you love me. I never thought I’d have this with anyone.”

“Oh, baby, come here.” JJ crawls up to lay her head on Emily’s shoulder. “I never thought I’d have, or even be worthy or, anyone like you. You are the greatest gift of my life. I plan to spend everyday making sure you know that.” She kisses JJ, tasting herself on her wife’s lips. “I love you so much, Jen.”

JJ strokes a hand down Emily’s face. “Te amo, Emily.”

Emily smiles at the sentiment she normally uses. “Come on. This will be more comfortable in bed.”

They stand, quickly shedding the rest of their clothes before crawling into bed to spend the rest of the night reaffirming their love for each other.


	4. Chapter 4

“Oh, there you are! You silly sleepyheads!”

Emily’s eyes had flown open at the “Oh”. When she realizes her mother is standing in the bedroom she quickly glances down. Though a sheet is over them, it is quite obvious she and JJ are naked. Elizabeth looks over her shoulder.

“They’re in here, Gerald!”

“MOTHER! NO!” Emily scrambles to grab the comforter and pulling it up over her and JJ. “Geezus, give us a break here! What the hell are you doing here?”

“I told you the caterers would be here at 8. It’s a good thing I’m here to open the door for them since you two aren’t up yet.”

Emily looks at the clock. “Mother, it’s only 6:45. Henry isn’t even awake yet!” Emily knows JJ is awake but pretending to be asleep. “Can you at least go downstairs so we can- -Oh, God! DAD! OUT!”

At this, JJ actually chuckles. Emily glares at her wife.

“Good morning, honey,” Gerald says amiably. “Your mother and I will get the coffee going. See you in a few minutes.” He takes Elizabeth by the elbow and leads her out of the room.

Emily drops an arm across her eyes. “Remind me again why it’s good to reestablish contact with them?”

JJ leans up and smiles at Emily. “Because they are your parents and they love you.”

“Right. And they nearly saw us naked. Do they not have that little meter that tells them right from wrong?”

JJ gives Emily a kiss. “I love you.”

Emily raises an eyebrow. “If you loved me you wouldn’t have faked sleep while I was dealing with them.” She gets up and heads towards the bathroom. “I’m going to shower. And if you even think about joining me while my parents are downstairs I will never speak to you again, Agent Jareau.”

Emily heads into the bathroom. JJ waits until she hears the water come on. Then, wearing nothing but a devilish grin, she gets up to join her wife.

* * *

 

At 7:15 Emily picks up a now awake Henry from his crib. “You’re mother is a terrible influence on me, Champ. You need to do something about her.” He giggles at his Mama. “Oh, okay. I see how it is. You’ve got her back. Better remember that next time you want a lullaby,” she says as she tickles him.

Once he is changed and dressed, she heads downstairs. Elizabeth sees them and smiles.

“There’s my sweet boy! Come to Grandma!”

She takes him and coos at him. He giggles and tries to grab her earrings. Emily just shakes her head, still amazed at how good her mother is with the little boy. She gives her father a glare as he hands her a cup of coffee.

“I swear I didn’t know, Pumpkin. I heard your mother talking and figured you two were up.”

“Right. I’ll let you know when I buy that one, Father.”

He gives her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for allowing me to be here today.”

“You…you don’t have to thank me, Dad,” Emily says, touched. “I’m just…glad to have…a chance to know you.”

He smiles at her. “Me, too.”

With her mother feeding Henry and her dad whipping up breakfast for them, Emily goes to watch some CNN before eating. When she turns on the TV, a local channel is on. It talks about the sad death earlier that week of two decorated CIA agents in a tragic accident. Emily angrily changes the channel.

“Fucking political bullshit,” she mutters. She hates the men escaped prosecution. But she hates even more the bruise it has put on JJ’s mind. Shrink or no shrink, JJ was going to have to come to terms with shooting a third law enforcement officer. And for a third time that officer’s actions would not be tried in a court of law. That her wife wouldn’t have that bit of closure angers Emily more than anything that had been done to the brunette during that 24 hours.

Emily looks up as her mother sits down beside her on the couch. “I know it wasn’t how you wanted it to resolve, Emily. But at least it’s over.”

“Is it? Jennifer is dealing with shit that she shouldn’t have to. Trials, sentences, they help people heal and move on. She’s been cheated out of that by the political monsters that didn’t want a CIA officer outed as a traitor. It’s not fair, Mom. It’s just not fair.”

Elizabeth pulls Emily into a hug. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“You don’t get closure either. Those men beat you and—”

“So what? I can take a punch. I can take the bruises. What I can’t take is the helpless look in Jennifer’s eyes when she thinks about it. I love her so much and I can’t do a damn thing to help her.”

JJ’s voice startles Emily. “Your love helps me more than you know, Em.”

Emily spins around. She hadn’t heard JJ come downstairs. “Jen…I…I…”

JJ walks over and kneels down in front of Emily. “Thank you.” She gives Emily a kiss, trying to convey in that simple act just how much what Emily had said means to her.

Elizabeth and Gerald exchange a smile. JJ truly was the best spouse they could have ever wished for their daughter.

* * *

 

A couple hours later, 3 chefs are working in Emily’s tiny kitchen. JJ and Elizabeth are pouring over catalogs picking out potential Christmas gifts for Henry. Gerald had stepped into the spare bedroom to take a call.

On the couch, Emily and Henry are enjoying the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. As JJ glances over at them she chortles.

“I’m not sure who’s more excited,” she whispers to Elizabeth, who grins.

“Look, Henry! There’s Kermit! Yay Kermit!” Emily cheers as Henry bounces and giggles.


	5. Chapter 5

By noon the condo smells amazing! Gerald had taken the Lexus to pick up Will and his girlfriend, Dr. Helen Wainwright. Elizabeth and JJ are playing Spades. Emily is asleep on the couch, Henry sleeping on her chest. JJ looks at her wife and son, then to her mother-in-law.

“Do you regret choosing your job over Emily?”

Elizabeth is stunned by the candid question. Still, she considers a moment before answering. “Yes. Everyday. Sadly, at the time, I didn’t. It’s only in getting to know her now and seeing her with Henry that I realize what I lost. And it’s something I’ll never get back.”

“I see.” JJ looks to the couch again. Elizabeth studies her a moment.

“What’s on your mind, Jennifer?”

“I keep thinking that I’m hurting him by having this job. And yet…I can’t walk away from it. What if one day I don’t come home? What if Emily doesn’t? What if we both don’t? Am I just an asshole to keep being an agent in the field or what?”

“Jennifer, you’re not an asshole for any of that. And you’re not a bad mother. Let’s be practical. You could walk out of here tomorrow, get in a car accident, and not come home. That’s life. Do you all put yourself in greater harm’s way because of your job? Yes. But you also go into those situations knowing the dangers, wearing and using proper protective gear, and you have a crack team backing you up.” Elizabeth reaches over and takes one of her hands. “The minute you stop regretting your time away from him, that’s when you become a bad mother. And I promise you, if I ever see that happening, I will intervene. I don’t want you to not know your son until he’s in his 30’s. That’s way too much time to make up.”

JJ squeezes Elizabeth’s hand. “Thank you so much, Elizabeth. I needed to hear that.”

Just then they hear Henry starting to stir. JJ gets up to go check on him and sees him playing with the necklace that Emily wears.

“Little man, you break Mama’s necklace and she may not share her pumpkin pie.” He smiles and offers the jewelry to his Mommy. “Oh, no you don’t, Mister. Don’t make me an accomplice to your crime.”

He giggles and waves his hands…smacking Emily in the face several times. JJ laughs as Emily’s eyes flutter open. She gets one small hand in the eye.

“Hey!”

Henry’s head spins around. He has a look of shock on his face: eyes wide, mouth pursed in an ‘O’. Emily and JJ both burst out laughing. He slowly turns around and looks at his Mommy. Finally he grins, once again offering the necklace to JJ.

“Uh, Champ? That’s mine, not Mommy’s,” Emily tells him, easing the chain from his fingers. He looks at her, a “JJ pout” now on his mouth. Emily laughs. “You are your Mommy’s son.” Emily sits up, hugging him close as she does. He gives her a big kiss on the cheek. She smiles. “And just like your Mommy you know how to win my forgiveness.”

JJ takes him in her arms. “You’ve learned well, Grasshopper,” she tells him as Emily shakes her head, amused. “I’m going to go up and get him changed. Might be nice for him to be in something other than pajamas for dinner.”

As they head upstairs, Emily moves to the table where her mother sits gathering up the cards. “Did you beat her?”

“I think we tied,” Elizabeth says diplomatically.

“So you skunked her, eh?” Emily says laughing. Elizabeth just winks. Emily looks around. “Where are your cooks?”

“Everything is done. We just have to take the turkey out and carve it and warm the rolls. It was time for them to go spend the day with their families.”

“Ah, okay.” Emily grins at her mother. “You   _did_  hire someone to clean up the dishes, right?”

“Of course not, Emily,” Elizabeth pops Emily on the arm...finding a bruise.

Emily winces. “Damn, Mother! Between you and JJ I’m never going to heal up.”

Elizabeth pulls her daughter into a hug. “I’m so sorry, baby. Are you okay?”

Emily returns the hug, somewhat shocked by the term of endearment. “I’m fine, Mom. Really. Thank you for being here today. Thank you for everything. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Emily. And thank you for allowing me back into your life.”

* * *

 

By 3 pm, everyone has eaten their fill. What’s left of the turkey sits on the kitchen counter; the last bit of pumpkin pie is being used as finger paint by Henry. Gerald is chuckling as Henry uses his grandpa’s face as his canvas. Emily is sitting on the couch talking to Will about a case he is working on. Elizabeth and Helen are talking about the latest fashion trends.

JJ stands by the kitchen sink just watching all the interactions. When she had first met Emily, they’d had a long talk about families. Emily had been so envious of what JJ had grown up with and what she still had with her parents. Emily had assured JJ that the Prentiss family would never be the type to have a happy holiday together.

JJ takes a sip of wine. It’s not often that Emily is so wrong about something. As if sensing her wife’s thoughts, Emily looks towards the kitchen, her eyes meeting JJ’s. The brunette smiles, the joy in her eyes touching her wife’s heart. JJ raises a glass in toast to her. Emily raises hers back.

“You two are really good together,” Will says to Emily, drawing her attention back.

“Thank you,” she says sincerely. “Helen is wonderful. I’m glad you found someone, Will.”

“Emily, I hope you don’t take this wrong…I did love JJ. But now I know I wasn’t in love with her. It’s a whole different feeling with Helen.”

Emily pats his arm. “I know what you mean, Will. Any plans to make an honest woman out of her?”

Will chuckles nervously. “Not sure I’m ready for that leap yet but I will say if I was she’d be the one I’d make the leap with. And for the right reasons this time.”

Emily nods, patting his arm. “That’s great, Will. I am really happy for you.”

* * *

 

By 11 p.m. Emily is putting the last of the dishes away. Henry had gone with Will and Helen, as they plan to spend the weekend with him. Gerald and Elizabeth had left…together. Something Emily was glad to see happen. Even if they could never be a couple again, maybe they could at least be friends.

She throws the dishtowel on the counter and walks up behind the couch. JJ’s head rests against the back of it as she dozes. Emily bends down and kisses her wife’s neck. JJ’s eyes flutter open. She gets a lazy smile on her face.

“I think this may go down as one of my favorite Thanksgivings ever.”

Emily walks around and kneels in front of her. “I’m glad.” She runs her hands up JJ’s thighs. “I can think of a way to make it even better,” her desire obvious in her eyes.

JJ runs her hand down her wife’s cheek. “Oh, really? How?”

Emily leans forward and kisses her passionately, her hands moving to unbutton JJ’s shirt. By the time they come up for air, JJ’s shirt is undone, her front-clasp bra open. Emily’s mouth moves to JJ’s chest. The blonde arches into the questing mouth, pushing her other breast into Emily’s hand.

JJ grips the bottom of Emily’s shirt and pulls it up and off. Emily only leaves JJ’s breast for the split second it takes to get rid of her shirt. She undoes JJ’s pants, the liaison lifting up to allow them to be pulled off.

“Em. Up. Now,” JJ gasps out.

Emily stands up enough to allow JJ to rid the brunette of her own pants. Emily sits down on the couch, pulling JJ over to straddle her lap. Emily gazes up into JJ’s eyes.

“Jennifer, this has been the best Thanksgiving, the best holiday, I have ever had. And it’s all because of you. Your love made this day possible. Thank you, Jennifer Prentiss.”

“I love you, Emily Prentiss.”

Their mouths crash together again. Emily’s hands are on a mission to caress every exposed piece of skin. She strokes down JJ’s shoulders, her arms, her chest, her back. She kneads JJ’s ass, loving the moan it draws from the golden beauty. She runs her hands down the outside of JJ’s legs and then up the inside. When she finally reaches the glorious center of JJ’s desire, it only takes a few caresses to bring JJ to climax.

As JJ collapses down against her, Emily just holds her close. “I love you so much, Jennifer. So much it almost scares me.”

“No need to be scared, my love. I’m right here and I always will be.”

To reinforce her point, she starts to kiss her way down Emily’s body. Using her mouth, she mirrors the trail Emily’s hand had burned on her body. And finally, with Emily’s legs over her shoulders, she makes her wife scream her name in ecstasy.

Emily lies down on the couch, pulling JJ up to lie beside her. She pulls the blanket off the back of sofa and covers them. Wrapped in each other’s arms, the glow from the moon their only light, the Capitol Dome illuminated in the distance, they fall asleep together.

It had truly been a day to be thankful for.


	6. Chapter 6

When JJ hears the whimper her eyes start to open, looking for the baby monitor. It takes her a second to remember she is asleep on the couch and the baby monitor isn’t needed since Henry is with Will. She lets her eyes slip closed again but the whimper sounds again.

JJ slowly rolls over and sees Emily’s eyelids jumping as she is caught up in a dream. The look on the woman’s face is pure terror. Just as JJ is about to wake her wife, Emily starts to speak.

“No, Ian, please…don’t hurt her. Please, don’t. NO!”

With that scream, Emily shoots up on the couch. Her eyes are wild with fright. JJ leaps up and grabs Emily’s shoulders.

“EMILY! Look at me, baby. It was just a dream! It was a dream, Em. You’re safe.”

Emily is gasping for air. Her eyes track around the apartment as if she doesn’t quite know where she is. Finally her eyes meet JJ’s. For a moment there is no recognition. Then she blinks a couple times, fighting to control her breathing. JJ sits down and pulls Emily close to her, scared when she feels the tall woman tremble.

“It’s okay, baby. It was just a dream.” She kisses Emily’s temple. “Do you hear me? Do you feel me? I’m what’s real. Not that dream. Not whoever Ian is.”

At the name, Emily trembles again. She buries her face in JJ’s shoulder. “But he is,” she says so softly JJ almost misses it.

“What?” she asks.

“He  _is_ real, Jen. He is real and he is the reason I should have never allowed myself to fall in love with you,” she states, a sob escaping her.

JJ has seen Emily scared before. But she has never seen her terrified, seen her broken. She lifts Emily’s face and stares into despondent eyes.

“Emily, what are you saying to me? Who is Ian?”

Emily holds her gaze a moment then stands. “Come with me, please.”

JJ stands and takes Emily’s hand. The brunette leads them into the spare bedroom. She walks over to the bookcase. She starts to pace nervously. JJ watches her, letting her do what she has to do to calm down.

“You once asked me how come things didn’t affect me the way they affected you. How I could have come off a desk job and into the world of the BAU and not lose my shit. I told you I compartmentalize better than most. And we know that’s true. But, Jen, I was on a desk job because I had to get reacclimatized to the United States, to the Bureau and to…to life as Emily Prentiss.”

JJ crosses her arms over her chest. “That was the promotion, wasn’t it? Whatever you did before Chicago was why you left Weston, isn’t it?”

Emily slowly nods. “Yes. I was loaned out to Interpol via the CIA. My…gift for languages caught their attention. I became someone else.” She looks away, ashamed. “I whored myself out for my country.”

“Oh, Emily,” JJ says sympathetically.

“No, Jen, don’t say it like that. Not until you hear everything. Because everything I was, everything I did could someday come back to bite me in the ass. Fuck, Jen, it could  _kill_   you.”

JJ reaches out and touches Emily’s shoulder. “I’ll take my chances.”

“You can’t know that yet!” Emily says angrily pulling away from her wife. She takes a couple of breaths to steady herself. “Please, just let me finish.”

JJ slowly nods. “Okay.”

Emily moves to the bookcase and hits the lever that pops open the secret compartment. JJ is stunned. She had never suspected a hidden safe was in the unit. Emily turns and looks at her.

“You need to know this: 0527A,” she explains, showing JJ the combination. “Memorize it.”

JJ just nods. Emily opens the door and pulls out a large manila envelope. She debates telling JJ more but can’t find the words. She hands the package over and moves to stand at the window, staring out at the night sky.

JJ stares at her wife’s back a moment, then moves to the bed, emptying the contents. Her eyes widen as she sees a photo of a younger Emily, with fuller, longer, lighter hair. She would know more about this version of Emily but every bit of text on the accompanying dossier is blacked out. There are several passports, one with the name “Lauren Reynolds.” The picture matches the one on the papers. She finds several more pictures loose in the paperwork and she studies each one. Finally she lifts a necklace, two small rings hanging on it.

“Her name was Lauren Reynolds. She was a black market weapons dealer. Very successful at it, thanks to the U.S. Government and assorted allies,” she says with a humorless laugh. “Her main goal was to reach an Irish weapons dealer who went by ‘Valhalla.’ Lauren was his ‘type’: brunette, smart, worldly…and deadly. I spent over a year establishing Lauren. Feelers and contacts getting me closer and closer to my target. And one day, in Boston, I was introduced to Ian Doyle.’

“Wait…Ian Doyle…I know that name…”

“I’m sure you do. He was once one of the world’s most wanted.” Emily turns to look at her wife. “And then he fell in love with Lauren. His men warned him to stay away from her, that she was too good to be true. Of course she was…she had intel from multiple agencies to teach her exactly what kind of slut to be for him.”

“Emily…” JJ says, not liking that her wife is denigrating herself this way.

“It’s true, JJ.” JJ winces at the use of her initials instead of her name. “Lauren was a slut in the bedroom and mentally, playing all the games just right. And then one day, in Tuscany, Doyle’s world came crashing down. His fiancé Lauren was taken from him. They were arrested at his estate. On her way to Germany to face trial for various weapons charges, Lauren was killed in a car accident. Doyle was eventually traded to the North Koreans, who weren’t very happy with the weapons he had sold to their enemies.”

“So, Doyle isn’t dead?” JJ confirms.

“Not to my knowledge.” Emily turns and looks into her wife’s eyes. “And if he is alive, there is always the chance he will find out who Lauren was. Who she is. And anyone who she cares about will be in danger. JJ, I was a fool to let you into—”

JJ closes the distance between them and covers Emily’s mouth with her hand. “First of all, Emily Prentiss, my name is  _Jennifer_ Prentiss. And you call me Jennifer, not JJ. Don’t you fucking start forgetting that. Second of all, I love you. Your time as Lauren has made you who you are today. She was not a whore or a slut because you are not a whore or a slut. You’re a God-damned Federal Agent who did a job. And third: we can’t help who we fall in love with. I love you, Emily Elizabeth Prentiss. Nothing about your past can change that. Do you understand me?”

Emily had expected a lot of things from JJ but anger hadn’t been one of them. She stares into eyes burning with rage and nods. “Yes. But what if—”

“What if he somehow finds you? Comes after you? After us? We’ll deal with that when it happens. Together. If he ever has a chance, you’d get a warning, wouldn’t you?”

“Um, probably. I really don’t know,” Emily admits.

“Then when that warning comes, we tell the team and together we profile, plan and act.” She frames Emily’s face in her hands. “You spent a lot of your life basically alone, no one to have your back, no one to lean on. Those days are gone, Emily. You have me, you have the team, and you will have help taking him down if that time ever comes.”

“Maybe. But, just in case, memorize this combination, Jen. And, swear to me, if I  _ever_ tell you to take these documents and to take Henry and run, you will do it. _Please_ ,” tears of desperation pool in Emily’s eyes.

JJ leans up and gives Emily a kiss. “I swear.”


	7. Chapter 7

After putting the documents back and concealing the safe once more, JJ leads her wife upstairs to their bed. Feeling Emily was still shaky JJ pulls her close, holding her, stroking her hair, doing the small things that convey so much love. After an hour or so, Emily finally drifts off to sleep. JJ watches her the rest of the night, hoping that in the morning the demons would not seem as frightening to the profiler.

The one thing that still disturbs JJ was how Emily kept talking about “Lauren” as if she was a completely separate entity than Emily. How compartmentalized was that portion of Emily’s life? And what had Emily done to deal with the duplicity it had created within her? As much as the woman dislikes psychiatrists JJ prays she has seen someone to help her deal with everything. She was a weapons dealer in her cover. People must have died by some of those weapons. Did Emily carry their lives within her? Did she try to picture faces, names, ages?

“What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours, baby?” JJ whispers, placing another kiss on Emily’s forehead. “We still have a lot to talk about when you’re ready.”

At 7:30 JJ’s alarm goes off. Emily groans and pulls JJ closer. JJ stretches out, hitting the snooze button. She strokes a hand down her wife’s cheek.

“Emily, baby, I need to get up. I have a doctor’s appointment,” she whispers.

“No,” Emily whines.

JJ’s heart skips a beat. The voice sounds so desperate, so un-Emily. “Baby, it’s okay. You’re in our bed, in our condo. Wake up, Emily. I love you.” She leans down and kisses her wife on the lips.

It is that touch, that sensation which begins to bring Emily back to the present. In her dreams, she was Lauren. In the light of day, she is Emily. She opens her eyes, staring into JJ’s.

“Was it all a dream?” Emily asks.

“No, sweetheart, it wasn’t. You told me everything last night.”

“Oh.”

JJ kisses her again, staring into scared eyes. “I’m still here, Emily. I’m still your wife. I still love you with all I am.”

“Oh.”

JJ smiles at her. “Not very loquacious this morning, are you?”

Emily manages a smile. “Stop using big words before I’ve had coffee.”

JJ chuckles. “That’s my line, Prentiss.”

“Oh. I get confused,” Emily says with a grin that finally reaches her eyes. She strokes a hand down JJ’s face. “Are you really…okay with…it all…and…me?”

JJ captures Emily’s mouth in a searing kiss. As it ends, she stares into Emily’s eyes. “I am your wife, Emily. I have no regrets about that. The only thing I worry about is what your time undercover has done to your mind. Have you ever talked to anyone about it all?”

Emily looks away. “Sort of. It’s mandatory to see a shrink after you come back up.”

“Right. And I know how you treat Bureau shrinks. Did you really talk to someone? Anyone?”

Emily looks back at her wife. “You. Last night.”

“I’m flattered that you would reveal all that to me. And I know it was more than you just wanting to protect me. You told me because you need to talk about it. Things have happened to you recently that have shaken the walls you built inside. I’m sorry that I’ve made you face the demons you locked away. But I’m not sorry for loving you. Please, sweetheart, think about seeing someone? If not for me, do it for Henry. He needs his Mama.”

Emily chuckles. “You play dirty, Jen. I’ll…I’ll think about it. I promise.” She pulls JJ down into a kiss. “Thank you for loving me enough to deal with all my baggage.”

“You never have to thank me for that,” she answers honestly.

* * *

 

At 10:30 JJ is sitting in the psychiatrists’ office. As she flips through an old magazine she can’t help but think Emily needs the appointment more than she does. Well, maybe. JJ jumps when the doctor opens the interior door and steps into the waiting area.

“Agent Jareau?” JJ nods. “I’m Dr. Lara Westfallen,” she introduces herself extending her hand.

“Hi. Please, call me JJ,” the blonde replies, following the doctor into the next room.

JJ glances around. A large bookshelf holds everything from medical books and journals to some classics. A few knickknacks are placed around the shelves and on the large desk in the back corner. But the prominent feature of the room is a large, leather sofa. Facing it is a matching wing chair, a small wood and glass coffee table separating them. Westfallen gestures to the couch and JJ takes a seat.

“So, JJ, what brings you here today?”

JJ grins. “My Camry?”

Westfallen chuckles. “I must remember not to be so literal with FBI agents.”

JJ grins, already feeling more at ease. “I’m here because of something that didn’t happen even though it happened.”

“Intriguing. Obviously I’m going to need a little background information.”

JJ bites her lip a moment. What she is about to tell the doctor could be considered treason. “I…what I tell you…how protected is it? I mean are there tapes here or what?”

“Well, I don’t usually tape sessions unless I feel it’s necessary. I write up my own notes at the end of each visit. Is there a reason you ask?”

“It’s just that…we were ordered not to discuss what really happened last weekend. There is a cover up. And I can see why it’s sort of necessary because if the truth got out it could create a lot of unnecessary fear. But because it didn’t really happen I don’t get to see a Bureau shrink about it. Emily said I should talk to someone anyway so here I am but now I don’t know if I can actually talk about it or not.”

Westfallen sits back in her seat. “Wow. Okay. I swear to you, JJ, whatever you say here today is just between us. I can even write my notes to keep anything top secret out of them. Whatever makes you most comfortable because I can see in your eyes that you really need to get something off your chest. I’m here to help put your mind at ease, not stress it more.”

JJ lets out a breath of relief. “Thank you. Um, is it okay if I pace? It helps me gather my thoughts.”

Westfallen smiles. “No problem.”

“Thanks.” JJ stands and begins to pace the length of the couch. “I shot a man on Saturday. He had kidnapped a friend and co-worker. His actions left my son out in the cold on Friday night. And then he took my wife hostage and beat her. Twice; sending videos to show us what he had done to her. When he tried to escape, I shot him. Fuck, I blew off his kneecap. He had dislocated Emily’s knee with a baton. I shot him in the same leg. I didn’t know before I shot him…or maybe I did. I’d seen her favoring a knee in the second video. Maybe I just aimed for it to get revenge. I don’t really know. Am I rambling?”

Westfallen chuckles. “Yes. But that’s okay. It’s letting me know what’s bugging you. Keep going.”

JJ slowly nods. “Okay. Well, see, this guy…our unsub…he was a former CIA agent. I didn’t kill him but what he was going to do could never be revealed. So…well…he’s gone. But that’s not what’s bugging me. See, he’s the third law enforcement officer I’ve had to shoot. The other two died by my bullet. He lived and yet he still died. I’ve discharged my gun 5 times in the line of duty. Three of those times were against fellow law enforcement officers. And not once has that person stood trial. Emily thinks I’m missing getting that closure.”

“And what do you think?”

JJ flops down on the couch. “Battle would have killed the head of IAB. He nearly killed my best friend, Penelope. He wanted to but his shot wasn’t that good because he used a drop gun. It hadn’t been sited in properly. Thank God. And then Weston, she had my parents bound, she used her fucking gun to stroke my son’s cheek, she threatened to rape Emily. I killed her. Both of them…I had to shoot through glass and take the safest shot for the hostages. I put bullets between their eyes. I don’t regret their deaths. I don’t even regret what happened with Phillipe. But they were law enforcement officers. We never got to talk to them, find out what made them betray their oath, soil the badge. And it weighs on me for some damn reason.”

“In your job with the FBI, you do what?”

“I’m the media liaison for the Behavioral Analysis Unit.”

“Ah, the amazing BAU. And what exactly do you all do there?”

“Well, we consult on cases across the country, sometimes even going to different cities to help them solve the crimes they are having trouble with. Our profilers study criminal behavior to help them understand how the criminal mind works. That information can help them when a similar unsub pops up.” She laughs humorlessly, rolling her eyes. “And they always pop up.”

“I see. So tell me, JJ, are you mad that you killed them before they stood trial or are you mad that you didn’t get the answers you need to stop the next one that ‘pops up’?”

JJ stares at the doctor for a minute. “Damn…you’re good. I need to know why they turned on everything they believed in.” She pauses a moment. “Everything I believe in. I love what I do for a living. I hate having to tell families they’ve lost someone but I love being able to tell them we’ve caught the bastard that hurt their loved one. And I don’t understand how a person can work their ass off to earn their credentials and then turn around and shit on them. On all of us. And yes, I do take it personally. Sadly, the latest jerk isn’t going to be the last officer that turns. And because of me, we’ll never be able to find out what made them do it.”

“So in saving the lives of your friends and family, you failed your job. Is that it?”

JJ ponders that for a minute then slowly nod. “Yeah. I think it is. How fucked is that? Does my job mean more to me than saving my friends and family?”

“Sounds like it to me,” Westfallen answers.

JJ leaps up off the couch, furious. “You bitch! How  _dare_  you say that! My family means more to me than anything and I—” JJ’s voice breaks off as she sees the grin on the doctor’s face. She slowly shakes her head. “You suck, Doc.”

Westfallen laughs. “Why, thank you, JJ. Something tells me this won’t be our last session but I hope you now see that you have nothing to feel guilty about. Your family is your priority. You’ve just proven that to yourself. But taking the life of a fellow officer, that’s not something to take lightly. I’d like to continue to see you, JJ. I think you have some more issues to work through. I don’t want to see you on the fallen officer’s memorial in D.C.”

JJ smiles. “Thank you. My job, it involves sudden travel.” She sighs. “Which is a whole other kettle of worms regarding my son, who is constantly being left behind. Anyway, if…if I miss an appointment, can I maybe call you and do it over the phone?”

Westfallen nods her head. “It’s a bit unusual but I think I can make an exception for you.”

“Thanks, Dr. Westfallen.”

JJ gathers her purse and heads out of the office. She is feeling better about the shootings but knows she still has a ways to go to be fully over the guilt. As she heads towards her car she stops, surprised by the black-garbed woman leaning against the Camry. She smiles.

“What are you doing here?”

Emily shrugs. “Thanks to a taxi, I was in the neighborhood. Thought I’d see if I can take my wife to lunch.”

JJ walks up and wraps her arms around Emily’s waist. “I think you can do that.” She leans up and gives her a quick kiss.

“Good. How was the appointment?”

“It helped, Em. A lot. I think she might be good for you, too.”

Emily blushes and looks away, shame in her eyes. “Uh, baby steps, Jen. I confessed my sins to you in the dark hours of the night. Give me time to get up the guts to admit them in the light of day.”

JJ nods. “Whatever you need, baby. Whatever you need.”

Emily looks back at JJ. “Right now I need to take my wife to lunch.”

“Okay.” JJ grins evilly. “But I’m driving.”

Emily chuckles. “Of course, my dear. I’ll even let you pick the restaurant.”

“You’re too easy,” JJ teases.

“Says she who I can get naked at the drop of a hat,” Emily jokes as she moves to the passenger side of the vehicle.

JJ just laughs, not at all denying that point.


	8. Chapter 8

As they drive, JJ glances at Emily. “I had a really good talk with your mom yesterday.”

“Yeah?” Emily says, staring out the window at nothing in particular.

“Yep. I asked if she regretted choosing the travel and time away from you when you were young.”

Emily slowly turns to look at JJ, nervous. “And, um, what did she say?”

“She regrets it a lot, Em. She told me she didn’t realize how much she regretted it until she saw you with Henry. At the time she left you with nannies it didn’t bother her as much as it should have.”

Emily grunts. “Figures,” she mumbles.

“Em, wait. That didn’t come out right.” JJ thinks about it a moment. “Hell, maybe you need to have that talk with her. But she promised me that if I ever acted like I was choosing the travel and the cases over Henry, she’d intervene. She also told me as long as it bothered me to leave then I was doing right by him.”

“So, are you going to stay at the BAU?” Emily presses.

JJ takes a deep breath. “Yes. For now. But maybe we can talk more about a nanny? I know you have a hang up about them and I understand why. But I think it would make me feel better to know there was someone I know and trusted with him at all times.”

Emily doesn’t say anything for a moment. Finally she nods. “Okay. But you know, if we get a full time, live-in nanny, we’re really going to need to think about a bigger place.”

JJ pulls into the parking lot of the restaurant she has chosen. Once she is parked she turns to look at Emily. “I guess you’re right.”

“And besides, if Henry’s going to have siblings at some point, we would need more space anyway, right?”

JJ narrows her eyes at Emily. “Why do I think you’ve been thinking about all this more than you’re letting on?”

Emily finally chuckles. “Because for all intents and purposes you’re as much a profiler as I am.” Emily lifts JJ’s hand and gives it a kiss. “How about we get through the holidays and your plastic surgery, then start looking at houses and nannies? It can be our New Year’s resolution to get settled in a new place by Valentine’s Day.”

JJ smiles. “Valentine’s Day? Why Valentine’s Day?”

Emily sucks one of JJ’s fingers into her mouth, causing the blonde woman to shiver. “Because then we can celebrate it by christening every room in the house.” She sucks another of JJ’s fingers, watching her wife’s eyes turn indigo. She then drops JJ’s hand and opens the door. “Let’s eat. I’m starved.”

JJ lets out a loud groan of sexual frustration. “Emily Prentiss, you are a cruel and twisted woman!”

She climbs out of her car, following her still laughing wife into the restaurant.

* * *

 

That evening, JJ is lying on the couch, her feet in Emily’s lap getting massaged. They are watching an old WWII movie set in Europe. When Emily laughs at a not so funny point, JJ raises an eyebrow at her.

“Should I be worried you find that soldier’s death funny?”

“What? No! I was just…I know where they are. I mean, really, where they are not where they are supposed to be.”

“Okay. So, let me in on the joke.”

Emily chuckles and shakes her head in amusement. “They are supposed to be fighting outside Berlin. But I know for a fact that they filmed in a small village in the south of France.” She lifts the DVR control and rewinds the movie a little ways. She hits play and watches for a second, then pauses the image. “Do you see that house in the background? At the top of the hill?”

JJ nods. “Yeah. It must have a heck of a view.”

“It does.” Emily looks at her wife. “That was my grandfather’s house.”

“What? Are you serious?” JJ sits up to take a better look.

“I sure am. I spent a lot of summers there. Wait, I’ll show you.”

Emily gets up and goes to the drawers that hold her old photo albums. She digs through the drawer to find the one she is looking for. She brings it back over to the sofa and sits close to JJ. JJ draws her legs up under her, leaning against Emily to get the best view of the album. Emily flips through until she finds the picture she is looking for.

“See, here it is up close.”

JJ studies the picture. But she’s not seeing the house. She’s staring at young Emily Prentiss, her hair in braids, a huge, uncensored smile on her face. This may be the most open JJ has ever seen her wife.

“You were so happy,” she says in awe.

Emily looks at the picture, seeing it through JJ’s eyes. She smiles. “I was. Mon grand-père ne se souciait plus de la politique. Il ne se souciait de son ‘petit Yank’. Notre temps ensemble était rempli de chevaux de selle et d'aventures. Il s'agissait de fun.”

JJ had cut her eyes to Emily as the brunette slipped unconsciously into French. When JJ doesn’t say anything, Emily looks up at her. “What?”

“Em, baby, I don’t speak French.”

Emily thinks a moment then shrugs in confusion. “And you want me to teach you?”

JJ laughs. “You have no idea, do you?” Emily is completely baffled. She shakes her head. “Baby, you said ‘I was’ and then started speaking French. I have no idea what you said.”

Emily blushes. “Oops. Sorry.”

JJ leans over and kisses her cheek. “Don’t be. It just showed me more how special your time there was. What exactly did you say? In English this time,” she adds with a wink.

Emily grins and leans her head onto JJ’s shoulder. “I said my grandfather no longer cared about politics. He only cared about his ‘little Yank’. Our time together was filled with riding horses and having adventures. It was all about fun.”

“That’s great. Does your family still own it?”

Emily blushes again. “Um, actually…we own it. He left it to me in his will.”

JJ’s jaw drops. She looks at the house in the picture. It’s huge. “You mean ‘we’ as in your parents and you?”

“Nope. ‘We’ as in you and I. Jen, anything I own is yours now. My lawyers made that official back in October.”

JJ stares at Emily. “You mean…I own a house in France and you’re just now telling me? Anything else I should know about?” JJ asks, perturbed.

Emily blanches. “Uh, probably a few things. We never really had a chance to go over the legal stuff I did.”

“Legal stuff? What kind of legal stuff?”

“You know, making sure your name is on bank accounts, properties, things like that.”

“Bank accounts? Plural?”

“Yes,” Emily answers. She studies JJ’s eyes for a moment. “Jen, you knew I had money before we got married. Now that we are married everything I have is yours. Everything. Is that a problem?”

JJ’s eyes show shock. “I…I never really…thought about it. Geez, Em, I just don’t think about your money and other stuff you might have. It’s not like you flaunt it all the time. I mean, let’s face it, your biggest splurge since I’ve known you was the SUV and you did that for Henry’s safety and comfort. But now you tell me we own a house in France and have a bunch of bank accounts and other properties. It’s a little…much.”

“But, Jen, does it matter? Am I suddenly a different person because it’s getting out in the open?” Emily is beyond stunned by JJ’s reaction to this conversation.

“No. But it’s just…a lot to process.”

“Jennifer, you’re acting like it changes something. I’m still me. I’m still the person you fell in love with. And I hope you know I’d give it all away if it meant somehow losing you to have it. I love you, Jennifer Prentiss. Tell me you’re not going to freak out and run,” Emily is practically begging.

JJ stares at her wife. She had forgotten for a split second how insecure the stoic agent could be. She smiles at Emily. “I love you, Emily Prentiss. And I’m sorry I lost it a little just now. I’m a simple girl from East Alleghany. To suddenly be told I own all this threw me off a bit.” She leans over and kisses Emily. “And you’re right, you are the same wonderful, loving, sexy, bad-ass I fell in love with.”

Emily grins. “You think I’m a bad-ass?”

JJ nods, grinning back. “Oh, yeah. Sometimes when you take down an unsub I want to take you up against the nearest wall.”

Emily laughs. “That would make Hotch’s reports interesting to say the least.”

“You have no idea,” she says, giving Emily a deep kiss. As it ends, their eyes are filled with desire. “I just remembered one bit of French I know: Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?”

Emily bursts out laughing at the “Lady Marmalade” lyric. She pulls JJ close. “Yes, Mrs. Prentiss, I want to sleep with you tonight.”

JJ stands and offers her hand to Emily, who gladly takes it and allows herself to be led upstairs to their bedroom.


	9. Chapter 9

Saturday morning the women decide to take a jog through a nearby park. The weather was unseasonably warm but still cold enough to keep them from overheating. As they pass a field full of kids playing a pick-up soccer game, JJ comes to stop. Emily jogs a few steps before realizing her wife is no longer with her. She stops and turns to JJ.

“I know it’s been a while, Jen, but to benefit from the jog you have to keep jogging,” she teases.

JJ slides a look at her wife. “I was just watching these kids and thinking about Henry someday playing. I really hope he loves it as much as I do.”

Emily smiles. “Jen, he’s going to be brainwashed into loving it. How many soccer decorated items are in his room, not to mention in his dresser? If he doesn’t like it I’ll be surprised.”

JJ sighs in happiness. “Yeah, true.”

Just then a ball gets away from the kids. JJ takes a couple quick side-steps and traps it with her foot. She flicks up with her toe, juggling it between her knees and ankles a few times, then up to her head, which she uses to bump it up high in the air. As it comes back down she executes a perfect defensive sidekick, sending it back to the group of kids. They gape at JJ a moment then erupt into cheers. JJ takes a bow.

Emily chuckles as they start to jog again. “Show off.”

“Yep. But damn that was fun,” JJ says with a beautiful, elated smile.

They run about 10 more minutes when JJ’s phone rings. Unfortunately, it’s the ring tone she uses for calls coming from Quantico. She steps off the jogging trail to answer.

“Jareau.” She listens a second. “Okay, put him through.” She waits a second. “This is Agent Jareau. How can I help you, sir?” She listens, every once in a while making a sound of agreement. She pinches the bridge of her nose. “Yes, sir, it does sound like something that our unit will need to look into. Can you fax me the information you have? Good. As it’s the holiday, a couple members of our unit are visiting family. We may not be able to get everyone out there until Monday. As soon as I know for sure, I will call you.” She listens another second. “Yes, sir, I understand. If he’s on a spree we need to get there sooner rather than later. I’ll be in touch soon, sir. Thank you.”

JJ disconnects and looks at Emily. “Spree killer in Seattle. Captain Max Abry is faxing the information to my office. I’m going to need to go in for a little while.”

“Think I should get our go bags ready for a trip to Seattle?”

“If he’s right, we’ll be leaving Monday morning first thing. It may be easier for Reid to just meet us out there since he’s out west already. I need to head into the office to see what we’ve got and call Hotch.” The two start to head back towards the condo.

“Want some help?”

“No need for you to ruin your Saturday, too.”

“Jen, any time spent with you is not ruined,” Emily answers candidly.

JJ’s heart skips a beat. “You are so fucking smooth, Agent Prentiss. And without even trying.”

Emily blushes. “That did kinda sound like a line, didn’t it.”

“A little. But since I know that’s not your style I know your cheesy lines are all from the heart.”

Emily stops walking, thinking about that statement. “You know, I’m not sure if I should be offended by that or not, Mrs. Prentiss.”

JJ just grins and winks.

* * *

 

Two hours later, JJ finishes reading the last report she had been sent. She collects the papers together and places them on her fax machine, sending them out to Hotch’s home fax. As they are transmitting, she calls Hotch.

“JJ, it’s the Saturday of a holiday weekend. Why am I getting a fax from you?” He asks as he answers.

“Spree killer in Seattle. I think we need to plan to leave first thing Monday morning. And, Hotch, it may be better for someone else to be the direct liaison with the lead detectives instead of me or you.”

“Why?”

“You’ll see.”

She waits as Hotch scans the first page. She hears his intake of breath. “I see. Okay, I’ll tell Rossi he’s the one that gets to make nice with them.”

“Good. Based on what Captain Abry told me this morning I don’t think he’s told them he’s called us in. Things cold get ugly, Hotch.”

“JJ, we’re there to stop a murderer. That’s all.” He pauses. “Uh, you and she weren’t, um…”

“No!” She answers almost too quickly. She blushes even though he can’t see her face. “I mean…almost…but not really.” She takes a deep breath. “It’s…complicated. I told her I didn’t date co-workers.”

“Ah. Glad to see you’re flexible with your own rules,” he kids her.

JJ chuckles. “Yeah to say the least. So, want me to go ahead and order the jet?”

She hears him flipping through the pages she has sent. He finally sighs. “Yes. We’ll leave at 7 a.m. Call Reid and tell him to just rebook his flight home and meet us out there.”

“Alright.”

“And, JJ? Everything will be okay.”

She smiles. “I know. It’s just going to be a bit awkward at first. But we have a killer to stop and lives to save. That should be all that matters.”

“Right. See you Monday.”

“Bye, Hotch.”

* * *

 

Emily was finishing packing two go bags when there is a knock on the door. Emily turns off the TV and heads to the door. When she looks out the peephole she sees her mother and father standing there. She opens the door, smiling.

“Hi! What brings you two here?”

Gerald smiles. “We have a surprise for you and Jennifer.”

“Oh. Well, it’s just me right now. Jen had to go into the office but she should be home any minute. We have a case in Seattle on Monday.”

“Then this is perfect timing,” her mother says.

Emily narrows her eyes as she studies her parents’ faces. “Okay. What’s going on here? You two look…suspicious.”

“Stop profiling us, Emily,” her mother tells her. “We brought you two a surprise but I guess you’re just going to have to tell Jennifer later if she doesn’t show up soon.”

“A surprise?” Emily looks and sounds doubtful. “Why do I have an uneasy feeling about this?”

“Because you’re an FBI profiler and suspicious by nature. Now close your eyes,” her father orders her.

Emily looks from one parent to the other but finally closes her eyes. After a moment she smells a perfume that stirs a memory from her childhood. Suddenly a kiss is placed on her cheek. Her eyes fly open.

“Francesca!” Emily squeals.

Her parents smile as their daughter is engulfed in a hug by the nanny she’d had as a child in Italy. In fact, the same nanny that had sung her the song she now sings to Henry. As the hug ends, Emily studies the woman. Though 30+ years older now, she is still a beautiful woman and her eyes are still kind. Emily looks at her parents and then back to Francesca.

“Come in! Are you here visiting the U.S.?” Emily asks, leading everyone to the sitting area.

“Not exactly, little one,” Francesca answers, making Emily blush at the endearment especially considering Emily is at least 6” taller than the caregiver. “My granddaughter is a student at the University of Maryland. Her father, my son, he has passed on. She is all I have now.”

“I am so sorry,” Emily says sympathetically, squeezing her hand in support.

“So when you mother mentioned you needed a nanny, I thought I should come and, as they say in America, throw my hat into the ring, yes?”

Emily’s jaw hits the ground. She slowly turns and glares at Elizabeth. “Mo-ther,” she says warningly.

Francesca pats Emily’s arm. “Emily, do not use that tone with your mother. She is trying to help us both. But I know the decision is not hers and not yours. You have your Jennifer that must be also confided in. I understand this,” the nanny explains.

Emily opens her mouth to speak, very uncomfortable and very unhappy with her parents for putting her in this position. “Francesca, it’s not just Jennifer. It’s…I mean…we have such a small place here. We aren’t really set up just yet for a nanny.”

“Well, Emily, the condo next door is available. Francesca could live there until you get a house,” Gerald suggests.

“It’s not that simple, Dad. It took me 2 applications and 6 months to get approved to live in this place. There’s no way I can just get the apartment next door,” Emily tells him.

He frowns at her. “Two applications?” He turns to Elizabeth. “Why would she apply to live in her own building?”

Elizabeth shrugs. “I don’t know. I—”

“WHOA! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” Emily gets up and starts to pace. “What the hell do you mean ‘her own building’?”

Elizabeth chuckles. “Really, Emily, do you ever read any of the information your lawyer has you sign?”

“I…I try. What the hell, Mother?”

“Emily, this building has been in your mother’s family for decades. She transferred it to you when you got your master’s at Georgetown,” her father explains.

Emily just shakes her head. Now she knows how JJ must have felt when they discussed the French villa. She rubs her face…and finally starts to laugh. “So you’re saying, they rejected me from living in my own building? And when the management company got on me the   _one time_  the rent was late, they were really getting mad that I didn’t pay myself? Too fucking incredible.”

She is still in a state of shock when JJ arrives home. She smiles at her in-laws. “Elizabeth, Gerald, hello.”

“Hi, Jennifer,” Elizabeth says, standing to give JJ a hug. “Jennifer, I’d like you to meet Francesca. She was Emily’s nanny in Italy.”

JJ smiles, not noticing her wife’s manic mood. “Italy? It must be your lullaby that Emily sings Henry! It is so good to meet you!”

“It is good to meet you, too, Jennifer.”

“Oh, and, Jen,” Emily interrupts, “Francesca is going to be our nanny and she’ll live in the condo next door until we find a house because it turns out we own this building and can do whatever the heck we want. And now I leave you to deal with the circus. Excuse me.”

JJ just stares at Emily as the brunette marches up the stairs. The blonde slowly turns and looks at the others in the room. “Um, what the heck is she talking about?”

Gerald stands. “Allow me to explain, Jennifer.” He re-introduces Francesca and explains about her granddaughter. He stresses that they understand JJ must have a say in any nanny hired and they expect Francesca will have to go through the same application process as other prospects. He then tells her about the building and how it was a gift to Emily when she got her master’s.

“But at the time,” Elizabeth interjects, “we weren’t exactly on speaking terms so she may not have noticed when the lawyers had her sign the transfer documents and I certainly didn’t tell her. I know it wasn’t right for me to handle things the way I did but we were both stubborn women. I’d like to think we’re getting better.”

JJ lets out a breath. “Wow. What a weekend this has been.” She gestures towards the stairs. “I’m going to go check on Emily. Feel free to make yourselves at home. I’ll be right back.”

She makes her way upstairs. She walks into her bedroom but her wife is not in there. JJ turns and makes her way to the nursery. She finds Emily in the rocking chair hugging one of Henry’s stuffed toys. Looking out the window, she appears ashamed and it breaks JJ’s heart. She kneels down in front of Emily.

“Honey, I know they have completely freaked you out with everything they just dropped on you. But don’t pull away from me. Stop building those walls I see you erecting. Please,” she asks softly.

Emily finally turns her head enough to look into JJ’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Jen. I didn’t mean for them to do this to us.”

JJ smiles. “I know that, sweetheart. In their own way, they are trying to help with the nanny situation. As to the building, your mother just admitted to me she never told you about it because you all weren’t on speaking terms at the time. Out of curiosity, how did you come to apply to live here?”

Emily smiles slightly, her face becoming distant at the memory. “We lived here for about a year when I was 10. Before Egypt. My mother was between assignments so she was just here to support my father. She and I actually had…had fun together.” Emily’s smile fades. “And then she was reassigned to Egypt and life went on as it had before. I was back to being an object just paraded out when it suited them.” Emily finally focuses again on JJ. “I guess I wanted to live here because it was the only place in my life that ever felt like a real home with real parents.” She looks away again. “Dumb, huh?”

JJ smiles and cradles Emily’s cheek. “No, Emily. Not dumb. Very sweet. Now, about Francesca…”

Emily crumbles a bit. “Jen, I am so sorry. I swear I—”

“Stop, Em.” JJ stares into her wife’s eyes, making sure she can see the truth. “Her care helped make you who you are. The lullaby she sang to you has become one of the greatest comforts in my son’s life. Something tells me she’s at least worth considering.”

Emily smiles a little. “Really?”

JJ nods. “Really.”

“She was a great nanny, Jen. She taught me so much. I really missed her when we moved here. But I know we have a lot to discuss before we make any decisions.”

“True. But at least you now know how you parents are able to get in here when we’re not around.”

“Right.” Emily gets an evil glint in her eyes. “I think it’s time to order new locks for the entire building.”

JJ laughs, glad to see her wife back on even footing. “Come on, let’s go back downstairs. I’m hoping Francesca can tell me many wonderful, funny, embarrassing stories of young Emily Prentiss.”

Emily had started to stand, then stops. “Uh…suddenly this is not sounding like a good idea after all.”

JJ just chuckles and pulls Emily to her feet. “I love you, Emily.”

“I love you, too, Jen. And I am really, really sorry about my parents.”

“No need to be.”

“Sure there is. I mean, if the pod people hadn’t taken them they wouldn’t be interfering so much in our lives.”

JJ smacks Emily’s arm. “They are  _not_ pod people!”

“Right…I forgot you were one, too.”

Emily ducks away from the next slap, instead grabbing JJ’s arm and pulling her close. “I really do love you, Jennifer Prentiss. I know whatever insanity is thrown at us, either on the job or in our personal life, we can get through it together. And nothing has ever made me feel safer.”

Emily leans down and gives JJ a deep, heartfelt kiss. JJ returns it with equal emotion. When it ends, JJ entwines her fingers with Emily’s. “Come on. Let’s go talk to Herny’s new nanny.”

“Jen, I—”

JJ lays a hand over Emily’s mouth. “I know you and I like what I see. I know she helped create the person you are. I can’t think of a better resume than you.”

Emily’s heart swells. She pulls JJ into a hug. “Sometimes you say things that just knock me out.”

“You do the same to me. I guess that means we’re perfect for each other.”

“Brilliant conclusion, Agent Jareau.”

“Thank you, Agent Prentiss.”

The two head downstairs to speak some more with the Prentiss’ and Francesca, putting off for another day the thoughts of murder and mayhem in Seattle.


End file.
